JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL
Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir claimed on Friday that the army has begun preparations to carry out Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to fully occupy the Gaza Strip, despite his earlier warning that it is a “strategic trap” that could exhaust the military and endanger hostages, according to Israeli media.
Speaking to soldiers in Gaza, Zamir said the military is preparing "to execute the new plan at the highest level across all fronts," referring to the plan approved by Israel's Security Cabinet earlier on Friday to occupy Gaza, according to the Maariv newspaper.
Zamir emphasized that the military is addressing the plan and will carry out the mission “in the best way, as always,” adding that the leadership is responsible for ensuring full readiness and sustained pressure on Hamas to achieve the war’s objectives.
Channel 13 reported on Wednesday a heated exchange during a “tough and direct” Tuesday meeting, where Zamir described Netanyahu’s plan as a “strategic trap” that would drain the army for years and jeopardize the lives of hostages, estimated at 50, with 20 believed alive, per Israeli assessments.
The plan begins with occupying Gaza City by displacing its roughly one million Palestinian residents southward, encircling the city, and conducting operations within residential areas, followed by a second phase targeting central Gaza’s refugee camps, large parts of which Israel has already destroyed.
According to the UN, 87% of the Gaza Strip is either under Israeli military control or subject to evacuation orders. The UN has warned that any further expansion would bring “catastrophic consequences” for the enclave’s civilian population.
Israel has been facing mounting outrage over its destructive war on Gaza, where more than 61,300 people have been killed since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave and brought it to the verge of famine.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.